Tea bag disposers

ABSTRACT

My invention relates to a self-contained disposer, with compartment therein, for transfer thereto, without spillage en route, of a plurality of stringed tea bags from cups of diverse heights, stationed alongside of it either in or out of a saucer, said compartment having its highest reach at the portal thereof for admittance therethrough of such bags from said variety of cups while preserving, through compensating means, a depth throughout the same no less than that at said portal; for deposit therein of such bags, with means for the continuous guidance of such string during the process of such transfer.

United States Patent 1,780,957 11/1930 Veder Louis w. Rosen lnventor New York, N.Y. (2018 North Bay Road, Miami, Fla. 33140) Appl. No. 788,442 Filed Jan. 2, 1969 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 TEA BAG DISPOSERS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 99/290, 206/.5 Int. Cl A47j 31/48 Field of Search 9 9/279, 287, 289, 290, 291, 295, 323, 77.1; 220/23, 83; 206/ .5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins ABSTRACT: My invention relates to a self-contained disposer, with compartment therein, for transfer thereto, without spillage en route, of a plurality of stringed tea bags from cups of diverse heights, stationed alongside of it either in or out of a saucer, said compartment having its highest reach at the portal thereof for admittance therethrough of such bags from said variety of cups while preserving, through compen-. sating means, a depth throughout the same no less than that at said portal; for deposit therein of such bags, with means for the continuous guidance of such string during the process of such transfer.

TEA BAG DISPOSERS ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention relates to a self-contained disposer, with compartment therein, for transfer thereto, without spillage en route, of a plurality of stringed tea bags from cups of diverse heights, stationed alongside of it either in or out of a saucer, said compartment having its highest reach at the portal thereof for admittance therethrough of such bags from said variety of cups while preserving, through compensating means, a depth throughout the same, no less than that at said portal, for deposit therein of such bags, with means for the continuous guidance of suchstring during the process of such transfer.

This invention encompasses a novel variation of the devices I had previously disclosed on the same subject matter, principally under US. Pat. No. 3,429,254,for thetransfer of tea bags after steepage in a cup or the like, with major improvements in this device that will, first of all, make it adaptable for transfer thereto of stringed tea bags similarly from a large variety of cups; and, secondly, that will at the same time provide an easily accessible channel with flared entrance thereto starting at the portal of my device and consequently in close proximity to any cup alongside of it, and leading therefrom in central alignment to the back of said device for the automatic guidance of such string until such bag shall have been deposited in its receptive compartment. Aside from its utilitarian purpose, the said device can be inexpensively produced by a mold out of plastic or porcelain material and in different colors to suit the esthetic taste of the buyer.

Other features of my invention and of the application thereof, and further details of my improvement will be set forth as this specification proceeds. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this particular disclosure, but is susceptible of many changes and modifications which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

For a more particular description of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

FIG. I is a side elevation of my device showing it in opera tional position alongside a cup and centrally placed saucer undemeath, both of which are depicted in fragmentary form, and indicating the path of movement of a stringed tea bag after its steepage in said cup up to its finaldeposit in the compartment of said device, identified in the order of such movement by the letters A, B and C, the latter pointing merely to a dot and dash line showing the trajectory said bag will take in its drop from position B upon final pull of the string;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of my device;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of my device in operational position alongside a cup of similar view but in fragmentary form, and in which figure there is also indicated a horizontal cross section of said string in intersecting relationship to channel 9 at the start thereof and in close proximity to said cup as shown by the side view in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of my device when placed bottom-up, in reverse position to that shown in FIG; 4.

Throughout the drawings, similar reference characters indicate similar parts.

In the accompanying drawings my improved device consists of a single compartment having optionally two floor levels forming together the bottom thereof, the resultant basin formed at the upper level having the flooring l on a slant toward the resultant basin formed at the lower level having the horizontal flooring 2, which latter flooring also forms part of the base of my device, and which slant toward it serves to have any drippings from said bag flow downhill at once to said lower basin, somewhat comparable to the levels created in the system of locks on waterways.

As to the parts constituting the remaining enclosures relative to said compartment, we have the riser 3, connecting, like with steps, the upper and lower floor levels of these two basins; the uniform sides 4 in parallel relation to each other, with the top edges thereof downwardly sloped toward the back 5, the top edge of which back is flared toward the centrally disposed indent 6; and also the parapet 7 of relatively small height and in concaved form to accommodate approximately the exterior convexity of a properly positioned cup, which parapet is joined to both of sides 4 and the top edge of which is beveled toward said compartment to cause immediate drainage thereto of any and all drippings that may land on it.

Positioned on the sloping top edges of said sides is the roof 8 leading rearwardly to said back, with its front edge flared toward the entrance to the channel 9, which channel is cen trally aligned across the entire length of said roof and leads into said indent 6.

In order to give greater stability to my device when placed as a self-contained and independent unit in operational position alongside a cup, or cup and saucer as shown in FIG. 1, the foothold 10 is provided as additional support for the prevention of said device from toppling forward. The said foothold is merely an extension of the flooring or base 2, and is obviously shallow or thin enough to freely pass underneath the upward slope of any saucer, the central part of the front edge of which foothold is preferably concaved, as shown in FIG. 6, to accommodate itself to the roundness of a saucer when placed in juxtaposition therewith.

For a clear understanding of the operation of my device there is indicated in FIG. I the positional relationship between it and a cup 11 centrally positioned in saucer 12; also the course taken by the tea bag 13 in the transfer thereof from said cup to my device in the wake of the string 14 attached thereto and having the stapled tag 15 at the free end thereof. To demonstrate the positioning and movement of said bag from the time of completion of its steepage in said cup to the ultimate transfer and deposit thereof to and in said compartment, I have assigned the letters A, B and C, as indicative of the operational steps in that process in the order named, all as shown in FIG. I, with step A being depicted also from a different view in FIG. 4. This first step A shows the string 14, leading upward from said cup, in position close to entry into channel 9. There is absolutely no chance of fumbling in gaining such entry, even if one were blind, because that function, followed by automatic guidance of the string through said channel, is facilitated by three provisions, namely: first, the entrance to said channel is, as mentioned, in close proximity to the operably positioned cup; secondly, said entrance is crosswise of the upwardly risen string as can be seen by the intersection between the two in FIG. 1; and thirdly, the entrance into said channel is automatically guided by the flared front edge of the roof 8 as can be seen in FIG. 4. Following such entry, the second step B covers the passage of the string guidedly through channel 9, so that at some point in the rear thereof it will automatically fall crosswise into the indent 6 on the top edge of the back 5, which indent is also at the center of a flare across said edge. In the course of this latter movement the bag in the cup is lifted upwardly in response to the continuous pull of the string both before and after it is fulcrumed at said indent on said back, finally reaching the top edge of said cup, ready to fall into said compartment on a further pull thereof, the said fall, when it occurs, following the trajectory course shown by the dot and dash line C in FIG. I. The upward lifting of the bag is accompanied by a sliding support thereof in contact with the opposing inner surface of the cup, thus preventing it from dangling in midair with possible spillage on table or the like.

It will be noted that the portal to said compartment touches a greater height than does the rear of my device for admittance therethrough of bags from cups of various heights,

including those of the mug type, but that compensation is made for what would otherwise be a shorter height at the rear thereof, to give sufficient room for deposit of the bags, by utilization of the lower basin identified by the flooring 2 and by the downward slant thereto of the flooring 1. It will also be noted that the parapet 7 is of comparatively low height in order to make the portal or entrance to said compartment as spacious as possible and also to keep it below the height of any shallow cup, while at the same time it will be appreciably below the trajectory course taken by the bag on the last leg of its transfer from the cup, and thus not act as a block to that movement. This low height of the parapet is nevertheless fully sufficient to prevent any drippings from escaping frontward, because they land only momentarily in the upper basin and flow down at once to the lower basin having the flooring 1, the capacity of which lower basin is ample enough to contain the maximum quantity that could ever accumulate there.

It is evident that a multiple of such bags may be transferred in such manner to the compartment in my device, with each string being superimposed on those already positioned in the indent 6, and with the bags assuming practically an upright position against each other in said compartment. It is also obvious that my device will function for the purpose referred to and in the same manner described, even if placed in juxtaposition with a cup alone, with no saucer underneath.

lclaim:

1. In a self-contained disposer with a compartment therein for manual transfer thereto through a portal thereof, without spillage en route on outer surfaces, of a plurality of steeped tea bags with strings attached thereto, from a conventional cup or the like of divers heights in operational position to same, whether in a saucer or not, the said compartment being formed by parallel sides of uniform contour spaced sidewisely apart a predetermined distance and joined to a back in the rear thereof preferably higher than their rear edges, a roof athwart said sides with a longitudinal slit therein midway along its entire length, introduced by a flared entrance thereto coursing from the front edge of said roof for the guided reception and movement of said string along its entire path toward the back of said compartment until its dependent bag has reached a position for its deposit therein, a flooring thereto as a base for such deposits, and a parapet at the foot of said portal, joined crosswisely to said sides, for containing any drippings in said compartment up to a predetermined height relative to that of said parapet.

2. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said compartment is downwardly slanted from its portal to the rear thereof, and where said flooring is so positioned as to create a depth throughout said compartment, between it and said roof, no less than that appearing at said portal.

3. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim I, where said compartment consists of an upper and lower basin, joined to each other, and where said parapet is in concavcd form to accommodate the outward bulge or horizontal convexity of any cup alongside said disposer, the lower basin being faced by a wall serving also as a riser and integrating medium between the respective floorings of said basins, and being also of sufficient height and sufficiently rearward of said portal to allow for the conventional height and lateral extension of any centralized saucer placed underneath such cup, the flooring of the upper basin being downwardly slanted in the direction of the lower one to induce the natural flow of any spillage from the former to the latter, the said lower flooring being also forwardly extended a predetermined distance beyond said riser to increase the stability of said disposer, with a centered concavity on the front edge of said extension to allow for the curved edge of any such saucer alongside of it.

4. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim I, where said compartment is of its highest reach at the portal thereof for admittance therethrough of such bags from said cups, and where nevertheless approximately a minimum but always sufficient depth is maintained throughout said compartment for the deposit therein of said bags, such accommodation being achieved by the relative course of the flooring located at the bottom thereof.

5. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said slit is aligned with an indent at its rear terminal located in the center of a flared edge appearing midway on top of said back.

6. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where the roof over said compartment is downwardly slanted from said portal to back, with the front edge thereof of a height contemplated to be appreciably greater than that of any such cup, and where the entrance to said centralized slit is in position to receive said string crosswisely in relation to its normal direction on such transfer from a cup, in order to facilitate such entry when directed through it.

7. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1 where said roof and the top edges of said compartment are jointly and reciprocally slanted from a predetermined height at said portal to a lower plane at said back, and where the bottom of said compartment is so sectionally pitched and leveled as to compensate for said slant to the extent of providing a depth throughout said compartment no less than that at said portal, the said bottom at the same time being otherwise so bound so as to leave sufficient clearance for the operable position of any such cup and saucer alongside said disposer. 

1. In a self-contained disposer with a compartment therein for manual transfer thereto through a portal thereof, without spillage en route on outer surfaces, of a plurality of steeped tea bags with strings attached thereto, from a conventional cup or the like of divers heights in operational position to same, whether in a saucer or not, the said compartment being formed by parallel sides of uniform contour spaced sidewisely apart a predetermined distance and joined to a back in the rear thereof preferably higher than their rear edges, a roof athwart said sides with a longitudinal slit therein midway along its entire length, introduced by a flared entrance thereto coursing from the front edge of said roof for the guided reception and movement of said string along its entire path toward the back of said compartment until its dependent bag has reached a position for its deposit therein, a flooring thereto as a base for such deposits, and a parapet at the foot of said portal, joined crosswisely to said sides, for containing any drippings in said compartment up to a predetermined height relative to that of said paRapet.
 2. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said compartment is downwardly slanted from its portal to the rear thereof, and where said flooring is so positioned as to create a depth throughout said compartment, between it and said roof, no less than that appearing at said portal.
 3. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said compartment consists of an upper and lower basin, joined to each other, and where said parapet is in concaved form to accommodate the outward bulge or horizontal convexity of any cup alongside said disposer, the lower basin being faced by a wall serving also as a riser and integrating medium between the respective floorings of said basins, and being also of sufficient height and sufficiently rearward of said portal to allow for the conventional height and lateral extension of any centralized saucer placed underneath such cup, the flooring of the upper basin being downwardly slanted in the direction of the lower one to induce the natural flow of any spillage from the former to the latter, the said lower flooring being also forwardly extended a predetermined distance beyond said riser to increase the stability of said disposer, with a centered concavity on the front edge of said extension to allow for the curved edge of any such saucer alongside of it.
 4. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said compartment is of its highest reach at the portal thereof for admittance therethrough of such bags from said cups, and where nevertheless approximately a minimum but always sufficient depth is maintained throughout said compartment for the deposit therein of said bags, such accommodation being achieved by the relative course of the flooring located at the bottom thereof.
 5. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where said slit is aligned with an indent at its rear terminal located in the center of a flared edge appearing midway on top of said back.
 6. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1, where the roof over said compartment is downwardly slanted from said portal to back, with the front edge thereof of a height contemplated to be appreciably greater than that of any such cup, and where the entrance to said centralized slit is in position to receive said string crosswisely in relation to its normal direction on such transfer from a cup, in order to facilitate such entry when directed through it.
 7. In a self-contained disposer as described in claim 1 where said roof and the top edges of said compartment are jointly and reciprocally slanted from a predetermined height at said portal to a lower plane at said back, and where the bottom of said compartment is so sectionally pitched and leveled as to compensate for said slant to the extent of providing a depth throughout said compartment no less than that at said portal, the said bottom at the same time being otherwise so bound so as to leave sufficient clearance for the operable position of any such cup and saucer alongside said disposer. 